Xigmatek NRP-PC502 500W Power Supply Review

Introduction:

A quick look around at some of the more popular online retailers shows power supplies around the 500W mark to be the most popular, at least by the quantities offered in that particular wattage bracket. Not everybody needs a 1500W nuclear power station inside their PC, and a good quality 500W unit will run most single graphic card gaming PCs with a standard set of components: motherboard, processor, RAM, single hard drive, single optical drive, and a cooling fan or two. Personally, if anybody asks for advice on which power supply to use then I probably wouldn't recommend anything lower than a 500W power supply, whatever the system, because the price difference between a good quality 380W unit and a 500W unit is now so low. It's down to personal choice at the end of the day, and if a there's a good looking power supply that's within your budget and able to provide the power you need, be it 500W or 1500W, then don't let anybody put you out of buying it. Let's face it, if everybody bought the power supply they needed rather than wanted, the market for high wattage power supplies would be severely limited.

Xigmatek are perhaps better known for their quality processor coolers, but they also offer a range of enclosures, cooling fans and power supplies. I have already had a look at the Xigmatek NRP-PC402 400W power supply, and this time around I'm having a look at its big brother, the Xigmatek NRP-PC502 500W unit.

According to the Xigmatek website, the company philosophy is "Impressive, Creative and Essential", or ICE, for short. Will the Xigmatek NRP-PC502 impress me? Let's put it through its paces and find out.

Closer Look:

Basic packaging with recycled materials is used and not a full color glossy photograph in sight. The box top shows a photograph of the power supply with a forest growing inside it ,along with an 80 Plus Bronze logo and icons to illustrate the power supply safety and product features. On the underside of the box is an explanation of how much energy can be saved using the Xigmatek NRP-502 against a similar power supply of only 75% efficiency. A pictorial illustration gives the types of connectors available on the power supply with cable lengths. The only difference you will see between the Xigmatek 400W and 500W variants is the glossy sticker, showing wattage, in the bottom right hand corner of the top face.

Feature list and fan noise against loading graphs for the 400W and 500W versions are shown on the front and rear of the box.

Specification table for both the 400W and 500W variants is on one side, and on the opposite face a small orange sticker to indicate that this is a Xigmatek NRP-PC502 500W unit.

Lift the lid and you'll see the power supply in a carrying bag with the accessories to the side.

The power supply comes in a black drawstring bag.The accessories included are a power cable, mounting screws, a manual, and a letter from Xigmatek.